Memoirs of the Reign of King George the Second, Volume 2 (of 3)Walpole, Horace
History
Memoirs of the Reign of King George the Second, Volume 2 (of 3)
Walpole, Horace
Great Britain -- History -- George II, 1727-1760
The same day the new Secretary at War moved for an Army of 34,263
men, which was an augmentation of 15,000 men, the extent of what
could be raised at that time in such a country as England; in poor
countries levies are made with more facility. When this should be
completed, a farther increase was intended. Eight thousand eight
hundred men were designed for North America; where two battalions
had disgraced their country. Lord Barrington commended the North
Americans, extolled Braddock, who, he said, had been basely
traduced; praised Nova Scotia, Lord Halifax, and Cornwallis.
Pitt, in one of his finest florid declamations, seconded the
Motion, adding, that last year he had pronounced 18,000 men not
sufficient; our whole force was necessary at this dangerous and
critical conjuncture. Other efforts were requisite than sending
two miserable battalions to America as victims. Every step since
had tended to provoke a war, not to make it--and at last the Crown
itself was to be fought for by so ineffective or so raw an Army!
He hoped, by alarming the nation, to make the danger reach the ears
of His Majesty, who was likely, after so gracious a reign, to be
attacked in his venerable age! to see such a country exposed by
the neglect of his Ministers! He could not avoid turning from the
venerable age of the King, to his amiable posterity, _born among
us_, yet given up by some unskilful Minister or Ministers!--yet
he meaned no invectives; he made no accusation; he spoke from his
feeling.
He then drew a striking and masterly picture of a French invasion
reaching London, and of the horrors ensuing, while there was a
formidable enemy within the capital itself, as full of weakness
as full of multitude; a flagitious rabble, ready for every
nefarious action: of the consternation that would spread through
the City, when the noble, artificial, yet vulnerable fabric of
public credit should crumble in their hands! How would Ministers
be able to meet the aspect of so many citizens dismayed? How
could men so guilty meet their countrymen? How could a British
Parliament assemble without these considerations? The King’s Speech
of last year had been calculated to lull us into a fallacious
dream of repose--or had his Ministers not had understanding, or
foresight, or virtue,--he repeated the words, that he might not be
misquoted,--had they had none of these qualifications to prompt
them to lay the danger before his Majesty? Was it not a proof of
his assertions, that _where_ his Majesty himself had a foresight
even of fancied, not threatened, danger, we knew what provision,
vast provision had been made? did the subjects of the Crown want a
feeling which the subjects of the Electorate possessed in so quick
a degree? did he live to see the day, when a British Parliament had
felt so inadequately? That there were but ten thousand men in this
part of the United Kingdom; that not more than half would be left
to defend the Royal Family and the metropolis; and half security is
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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